SMWC alum awarded Volunteer of the Year

Vicki Barrett, recipient of the Junior Achievement Volunteer of the Year award

One of the principles that Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) instills in its graduates is the commitment to service. Students are encouraged to volunteer their time to others in the spirit of giving in many ways at The Woods. This conviction develops in our students and stays with them long after they graduate. Vicki Barrett, 2001 graduate of SMWC, who embodies this value, recently received the Female Volunteer of the Year award from Junior Achievement of the Wabash Valley, Inc. at their annual dinner.

As a volunteer for Junior Achievement and United Way, as well as a Sunday school teacher, Barrett enjoys working with children and nurturing how receptive they are to learning.

“It is very rewarding,” Barrett said of her volunteer work, stating that the benefits that volunteering has for her personal and professional life are always much greater than the cost or time given.

Barrett is a controller at Terre Haute Savings Bank and has been there since graduating with an associate’s degree from Ivy Tech in 1998. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from SMWC only three short years later. Her biggest supporter was her father, who purchased her Woods Ring for her and attended Ring Day but did not live to see her graduate.

Vicki Barrett and her husband, Gary, have two sons: Jarrod and his wife Kelsey with daughter Brookelee Kay; and Darrek.

A true Woods woman, Barrett inspires others to volunteer and give back, relating the impactful rewards of seeing how the children react and interface with the Junior Achievement program. Knowing that helping people will make a difference is what inspires her and drives her to volunteer.

“We look for volunteers that go the extra distance for the organization,” said Peggy Murdock, interim president of Junior Achievement. “Vicki has consistently been a strong advocator for Junior Achievement programs and events for the past several years.”

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